Nobody's Gonna Bring Me Down
by Pikola
Summary: As Regionals comes to a close, Kurt realizes something, about himself and about the people he has surrounded himself with.


Title: Nobody's Gonna Bring Me Down

Author: Pikola

Fandom: Glee

Pairing: Blaine/Kurt unrequited

Rating: PG-13, cause Kurt swears once. But it is the F-bomb.

Warnings: Spoilers up to Sexy. This was written before Original Song, so this may become AU once the episode airs.

Disclaimer: Glee is not mine, sorry.

Author Notes: The dance they do is a mash-up from songs they've done this season, with only a few from last season, cause otherwise Sam would be completely lost.

Summary: After Regionals, Kurt sings with New Directions, and has a revelation

Nobody's Gonna Bring Me Down

Kurt closed his eyes just as the judge announced the winner for Regionals. His breath left his lungs in a rush as New Directions' name was called, and he could hear the shouting and cheers from his former Glee club. Kurt reluctantly opened his eyes, watching the disappointment on the Warblers' faces.

The next few moments were blurs, he vaguely remembers saying something consoling to Blaine and congratulating New Directions on their win. Soon enough, he was back in the dressing room with the other Warblers, getting their personal items together so they could go home.

Kurt sneaked away for a minute, wanting a moment to himself. He wandered back towards the stage, looking over the now empty theater. He sighed, and prepared to return to the Warblers' dressing room. But as he turned around, he saw the rest of the Warblers approaching him. He gave them a polite smile as they approached. "Ready to go back to Dalton?"

"Yeah, are you ready?" Blaine asked in a worried tone.

"Yes," Kurt answered as he hefted his bag. "I have everything already packed and ready."

Before Blaine could reply, Kurt heard someone calling his name. As he turned around, he could see New Directions coming towards him from the other side of the stage. He smiled and greeted them, hugging the girls (minus Santana, who simply gave him a slight smile and nod) and letting the boys give him shoulder pats.

"Congrats guys, on the win." On impulse, Kurt hugged Rachel. "The songs were amazing. The second one... thank you.

Rachel beamed and hugged Kurt. "It was for you, and for all of us. For everything they did to us."

Kurt smiled and beamed at New Directions. "You guys are going to rock at Nationals. They won't know what hit them."

"Kurt," Blaine said softly. Startled, Kurt turned to look at the Warblers, forgetting they were even there. Blaine cleared his throat nervously. "It's a long bus trip back to Westerville, we should probably start heading to the bus."

Before Kurt could form a reply, Rachel interrupted. "Wait, Kurt. Sing with us, please," She smiled sadly. "For old times sake."

Brittany came up and hugged him fiercely. "Please, dolphin?"

Kurt looked at the Warblers, and then back at New Directions. With a slight hopeful smile, he looked at the Warblers, and after a moment of wordless deliberation, the Council nodded their consent. "Alright, one song."

The girls squealed and the boys gave each other high fives, and they ran back onto the stage. Rachel approached Kurt and smiled. "Ready to do this New Directions style?"

Kurt gave her a superior, 'who do you think you're talking to' look. "Of course. Care to let me in on what song we're doing?"

"Oh, I think you'll recognize it when you hear it. Just some slight changes, and you get the third verse," Then Rachel bounced away, crying 'Places everyone!' to everyone milling around onstage.

Blaine walked over with a confused look on his face. "Is she always like that?"

Kurt laughed. "This is New Directions, they all come with a bit of crazy. It's part of their charm."

Blaine just shook his head as Kurt walked onstage to join his old Glee club. He and the other Warblers went and sat in the front row seats.

New Directions had formed a straight line across the stage, turned away from the audience. Kurt was directed to the end of it, saying only that he would know his cue.

Then the music started, and the "na na na na" and Kurt couldn't stop the huge smile from spreading onto his face. My Life Would Suck Without You, how appropriate for this. Rachel was right, he knew his cues, it was like he had never left New Directions. The dance steps were a mash-up of the songs they had done in the past, mostly from this year. Santana and Brittany took the first verse, with everyone joining in the chorus, and then Rachel and surprisingly Finn harmonized for the second verse. With a slight start, he realized that Rachel had told him that he would be singing the third verse.

_Being with you  
Is so dysfunctional  
I really shouldn't miss you  
But I can't let you go  
Oh yeah _

Mercedes came in on the "I can't let you go" and harmonized with him, clasping hands as they did so. As everyone sang the last chorus together, Kurt stood in the middle as each member came up and sang next to him, giving him a hug or pat.

When the song was over, Kurt was struggling not to cry. He missed them so much, it hurt a little to be there singing with them again, and know that it was only for this one glorious moment. And now it was over. He smiled sadly at them, and all at once was engulfed into a hug by various members of the group. Finally, they extracted themselves from Kurt, and he smiled softly at them.

"Thank you. All of you." Kurt said softly. He turned and looked at the Warblers, who looked a surprised, "In New Directions, when we have a problem, or something to say, we sing about it. And if New Directions will help me, I have a song I want to sing. Rachel?"

With a smile, New Directions went into the wings and Rachel approached Kurt with a puzzled look on her face. Kurt smiled and took her hand. "I know under any other circumstances, you would never sing anything but the lead part, but I was hoping just this once that you would be my Galinda."

Rachel's face broke out into a smile, and she squeezed Kurt's hand. "I suppose I could indulge you just this once, Elphy."

Kurt started to laugh a little. "You know what song I want to sing. You may have bested me out for the solo the first time, but this time it's mine."

With a slight wide-eyed look, Rachel nodded and went slightly to the right and downstage of Kurt. If she was thinking of the same song, could Kurt hit that high F?

Rachel took a steadying breath, and then began.

_(spoken) Elphaba - why couldn't you have stayed calm for  
once, instead of flying off the handle!  
(sung) I hope you're happy!  
I hope you're happy now  
I hope you're happy how you  
Hurt your cause forever  
I hope you think you're clever! _

Kurt came right back, his face fierce and proud.

_I hope you're happy  
I hope you're happy, too  
I hope you're proud how you  
Would grovel in submission  
To feed your own ambition_

_So though I can't imagine how  
I hope you're happy right now_

Somehow, Rachel got the feeling it wasn't really her that he was singing to. Maybe it was the way he was glancing into the audience.

_(spoken) Elphie, listen to me. Just say you're sorry:  
(sung) You can still be with the Wizard  
What you've worked and waited for  
You can have all you ever wanted:_

Now Rachel glanced at their audience as she sung her lines, realizing that Dalton was Kurt's "Wizard", his dreams.

But typical Kurt, came back just as strong, shaking his head with a rueful smile as he sung his next lines.

_(spoken) I know:  
(sung) But I don't want it -  
No - I can't want it  
Anymore: _

Kurt looked out onto the Warblers as he sung, looking at their near identical faces, like a bunch of Stepford kids.

_Something has changed within me  
Something is not the same  
I'm through with playing by the rules  
Of someone else's game  
Too late for second-guessing  
Too late to go back to sleep  
It's time to trust my instincts  
Close my eyes: and leap!_

Kurt smiled widely, and held himself taller, gaining strength as he continued to sing.

_It's time to try  
Defying gravity  
I think I'll try  
Defying gravity  
And you can't pull me down! _

Rachel took on a pleading role as she glanced briefly at Blaine to see how he was taking this. Not good, by the looks of things. Man probably knows his theater, so he knows where this song is going, she mused.

_Can't I make you understand?  
You're having delusions of grandeur: _

Kurt put a little bit of anger in his voice at these next lines, remembering Blaine, of all people, telling him to tone it down. The Warblers council giving him disdainful looks every time he opened his mouth. He looked at Wes, David and Thad in particular at the lines about never knowing til he tried. And he sang the lines about love almost right to Blaine, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

_I'm through accepting limits  
''cause someone says they're so  
Some things I cannot change  
But till I try, I'll never know!  
Too long I've been afraid of  
Losing love I guess I've lost  
Well, if that's love  
It comes at much too high a cost!  
I'd sooner buy  
Defying gravity  
Kiss me goodbye  
I'm defying gravity  
And you can't pull me down:  
(spoken) Glinda - come with me. Think of what we could  
do: together._

Kurt and Rachel played off of each other in the next lines, their smiles lighting up as they sung. Kurt finished the lines, a hopeful look on his face, glancing briefly at Blaine, hoping he got the message.

_(sung) Unlimited  
Together we're unlimited  
Together we'll be the greatest team_

There's ever been  
Glinda -  
Dreams, the way we planned 'em

If we work in tandem: 

_There's no fight we cannot win  
Just you and I  
Defying gravity  
With you and I  
Defying gravity_

_They'll never bring us down!  
(spoken) Well? Are you coming_

Rachel got quiet, and sad, thinking of how she had failed Kurt. He had to leave McKinley and go to that awful Dalton, when she should have seen sooner that he needed help. Kurt smiled gently, and shook his head and gave her hands a squeeze as he sing his own lines.

_I hope you're happy  
Now that you're choosing this_

(spoken) You too  
(sung) I hope it brings you bliss

I really hope you get it  
And you don't live to regret it  
I hope you're happy in the end  
I hope you're happy, my friend

Rachel gave Kurt an encouraging nod and moved towards the rest of New Directions who were stilling standing in the back, giving Kurt the stage to belt out the last lines.

Kurt stood tall and straight, a fierce smile of pride on his face. As he sang the flying free line, he took off his Dalton jacket and tie, casting them aside.

_So if you care to find me  
Look to the western sky!  
As someone told me lately:  
"Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly!"  
And if I'm flying solo  
At least I'm flying free  
To those who'd ground me  
Take a message back from me  
Tell them how I am  
Defying gravity  
I'm flying high  
Defying gravity_

Kurt shook his head in a 'shame on you, I'm better than this' sort of way. All that worrying, to be someone he wasn't just to fit in. Fuck them anyway.

_And soon I'll match them in renown  
And nobody in all of Oz  
No Warbler that there is or was  
Is ever gonna bring me down!_

Rachel smiled as she caught the slight change in the words, a mental 'Go Kurt! Give them hell!' sent his way. She stepped slightly forward to sing her own lines. One of the other girls had obviously coached the rest of ND to what their few lines were, as they joined in.

_I hope you're happy!  
Look at her, she's wicked!  
Get her!_

Here it comes, Rachel thought. The high F. She looked a little anxiously at Kurt, hoping desperately that he would be able to hit that high note.

_Bring me down! _

As Kurt sang the last 'down' he lifted his arms, the very same gesture that had gotten him in trouble in the Warblers earlier. When Kurt belted out a clear F, smiling and triumphant. Rachel couldn't help but beam back.

_No one mourns the wicked  
So we've got to bring her_

_Ahhhhh!_

Down!

As the last note died away, Rachel ran towards Kurt and gave him a huge hug, babbling about how awesome that was, and OMG, you did it, you hit it! An another moment, Kurt was surrounded by the rest of New Directions, all congratulating him, and telling it how awesome it was.

A small, measured bit of clapping brought the jumbled speaking to a halt, as they all turned to survey the Warblers, who had come back onto the stage.

Wes spoke first. "Junior Member Kurt Hummel, thank you for that inspired performance. I'm sure we were all very impressed by it, though it was a bit... theatrical for the Warblers. But your uniform, you know better, that you must be in uniform at all times while on a school-sponsored outing."

Puck started to open his mouth, probably to threaten or harass him, but Kurt just shook his head and held up a hand. He stepped towards the Warblers, and stood straight and proud. "I've come to a decision and it is one that you should know right away. I've decided to leave the Warblers, in fact, I'm leaving Dalton. I'm going back to McKinley and re-joining New Directions."

At the announcement, the ND kids smiled and started to celebrate. The Warblers looked stunned, except Blaine, who just looked sad. Kurt smiled over his shoulder at the McKinley students. "It's where I belong. I just lost sight of that for awhile."

There was really nothing more to say to that. With a few stunned looks at Kurt (and one sad one from Blaine), the Warblers left and Kurt celebrated with his new/old Glee club.

As they began to celebrate, Rachel gave Kurt big smile. "Welcome back, Kurt, we missed you. But don't think this means I won't do everything I can to beat you out of solos."

Kurt just grinned at her. "Bring it."

END


End file.
